Community College Baseball : Cypress’ Gonzales Beats Orange Coast Again, 5-4

Benny Gonzales pitched eight innings, surviving three defensive mistakes, and Jeff Patterson pitched an inning and was saved by his defense as Cypress College defeated Orange Coast, 5-4, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Saturday at OCC.

The victory went to Gonzales (9-0), who has beaten OCC three times this season.

Cypress took a 5-2 lead in the seventh inning on a two-run home run by Mark Steinert, his fourth of the season. It was off OCC starter and loser Mike Misuraca (1-2).

OCC’s Jeff Brouelette reached first base on a throwing error by third baseman Doug Yates to open the seventh inning. Hector Santa Cruz then grounded back to Gonzales, who turned and threw the ball into center field, sending Brouelette to third base. J.J Culpepper hit a sacrifice fly to left to score one run, but Gonzales retired the next two batters to escape with a 5-3 lead.

Gonzales hit lead-off batter Derek Dehdashtian in the eighth, and OCC eventually loaded the bases with two out. Pinch-hitter Denny Berni hit a high bouncer that shortstop Rod DeYoung mishandled for an error, allowing a run to score to cut the lead to 5-4. But Gonzales got Culpepper to fly out for the final out.

Patterson replaced Gonzales to start the ninth. Jason Young hit a sinking line drive into right-center field that appeared ready to fall for a hit, but Cypress right fielder Paul Bunch dove and caught the ball in the tip of his glove for the first out.

Craig Nixon flied to left field for the second out. After Patterson walked Dehdashtian, he struck out Greg O’Halloran for the final out and the save.

The victory keeps Cypress (25-6 overall, 8-2 in conference play) in a first-place tie with Rancho Santiago at the halfway point of the conference schedule. The loss snapped the six-game winning streak of OCC (21-13-1, 6-4).

Tim Churchill had a lead-off double in the second inning to extend his hitting streak to 31 games for Cypress.

In other Orange Empire Conference games:

Saddleback College 14, Riverside 6--Saddleback’s Carl Watkins spurred a five-run sixth inning with a three-run triple at Riverside. Teammate Donny Harrell was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIS, and pitcher Ben Ortiz recorded the win for Saddleback (16-18, 3-6).

In the South Coast Conference:

Golden West 10, Cerritos 0--Tom Thobe (7-2) threw a five-hitter for host Golden West (19-10, 7-4). Craig Paquette had three hits and two RBIs; Tom Smythe had three hits, scored three runs and had an RBI, and Keith Lazslo also had an RBI single for Golden West. Cerritos is 24-9 and 7-4.

Mt. San Antonio 10, Fullerton 7 (10 innings)--Host Fullerton (22-7-1, 7-4) scored five runs in the ninth to tie the score but gave up three unearned runs in the 10th. Derryk Hudson hit a three-run home run to tie it, 7-7, in the ninth for Fullerton. Rod Klopfer and Mike Oziminski had three hits each for Fullerton.